The Crest of Ambrosius
by clintbartonismyaesthetic
Summary: When a group of knight from a fallen kingdom request Arthur's help in taking it back, Merlin seems to know more than he should. What could he be hiding? Yeah, I know. Lame summary, PLUS it's been done before, but I thought why not?
1. Chapter 1

Smoked burned his lungs as he ran through the smoldering corridor. Flames licked at his boots as he leapt over debris from the raging fire. Everywhere he looked he saw red. The red glow of flames eating away at everything he called home. The dark red blood spilled from his slaughtered friends and family. The bright, angry red of the rage simmering in his gut over the complete and utter injustice of it all. How ironic it seemed now that his kingdom's colors were blue.

Angry shouts and the faint sounds of battle could be heard clashing through the halls, echoing off of the stone walls. Servants and nobles alike could be seen attempting to flee whatever death almost certainly awaited them. If not the smoke and flames, then surely the attacking army waiting outside.

"We must get the prince to safety!" A man in bloodied chainmail and a torn and tattered cloak directed the young man and the older woman with him, the Queen, into a small room off of the corridor.

"No! I want to fight!" the Prince argued, his loyalty to his people and kingdom overshadowing any logical thought.

"It's too dangerous. You must leave and get to safety." The man, one of the few knights remaining loyal to the crown, tried to reason with the Prince.

"But I can help!"

"Now is not the time. The citadel has already fallen, too many people have been lost. If we leave now, perhaps one day you can return and take it back. But for now we must flee. This way!" The knight lead the Prince and his mother to a secret passageway that would allow them to escape into the forest, undetected, miles away from the burning city.

"Hurry, we haven't much time before they catch up to us."

Just as the Queen, and then the Prince, scurried into the narrow corridor, men bearing the insignia of the attacking force barged into the room.

"You two go on! I'll fend them off as long as I can!"

With that the knight slammed the passageway door shut and turned to face the enemy. The last thing the Prince heard before being propelled down the hall was the sound of swords clashing and the screams of dying men.

As the sounds of battle faded, so did the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and the young Prince, suddenly weak, stumbled, falling to his knees. The last thing he saw before everything began to fade was his mother's weary blue eyes, filled with concern, hovering over him.

Merlin woke with a strangled yelp, sitting up in his poor excuse for a bed. After a few moments gasping, he noticed the tears running down his face. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped an arm around them, using his free hand to brush away the stray tears. It was then that he remembered what day it was. Resigning himself to a sleepless night, he leaned back against the wall and looked out the window at the sleeping city. In just a few hours, the morning would dawn and the now-empty streets would soon be filled with bustling people starting their day.

He reached up and started fiddling with the ever-present ring he kept hidden on a chain underneath his neckerchief. As his fingers brushed across the insignia stamped into the otherwise smooth metal, he dropped his head back against the wall, overcome by the grief that he felt. He didn't even notice when new tears began to fall.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time dawn had broken, Merlin's back had long since cramped and the cold from the stone he leaned against had seeped through his skin, seeming to penetrate down through his bones. Rolling his neck to try to relieve some of the building pressure, Merlin peered out the window at all the people beginning to scurry around the lower town. From this distance they appeared as ants, all rushing around, never stopping but to avoid crashing into each other.

How similar it was to _home_. All the people, going about their business, calling out to friends and neighbors, blissfully unaware of anything that could be wrong... but no, he wouldn't do that to himself. Especially not today, not when he would be forced to remember _that night_...well that was bad enough. He needn't add to it.

He waited until it was a slightly more reasonable time before he decided to get up and dress himself for the day. Pulling his worn leather jacket on over his signature tunic and neckerchief, Merlin stumbled down the short stairs from his room into Gaius' workspace. He quietly padded through the room to the door, which he, after a quick glance to make sure he hadn't woken his surrogate father, slipped through and shut with a soft click.

Making his way to the kitchens, Merlin passed few people, for which he was grateful. He wasn't in the mood to be his normal, cheerful self, flashing a smile at and greeting nearly everyone he came across. He knew that, if he didn't want to concern anyone, he would have to pretend to be his usual optimistic self, but for now, he was content to drown in his thoughts. So he did. Since he had been up early enough, he took his time, meandering through the quiet corridors, remembering what had happened that awful night, 7 years ago.

All too soon, he reached the door to the kitchens. Swiping away the tears that had gathered at the thought of all he had lost, Merlin entered with the most cheerful grin he could muster. It wasn't much, but it apparently passed enough for normal that no one stopped or questioned him. He quickly made his way through the bustling staff, careful not to knock into anything that could spill. He definitely did not want to get yelled at by Cook this morning.

Grabbing the tray with Arthur's breakfast, he maneuvered back out the way he came and hurried through the halls to the King's chambers. Reaching his destination, Merlin nodded to the guards posted at either side of the doors and slipped inside. Setting the tray down on the table, he made his way over to the window, yanking the curtains open to let in the bright sunlight.

"Rise and shine!" he called with false cheerfulness.

"Mmph." Arthur buried his face deeper into the pillow and turned away from the radiant light.

"Come on, you have a busy day ahead of you." Merlin shuffled back to the table and began to set out the various plates of food. When there was no response, Merlin sighed to himself, walked over to the bed, and gripped the comforter, preparing to rip it off of the young King. Mentally preparing himself, he inwardly counted to 3 and yanked the bedcovers back, jumping back to try and avoid the wrath of his master and friend.

"MERLIN!" Arthur bellowed.

"Well, if you'd get up when I tell you, I wouldn't have to do that," Merlin said defensively.

"Merlin," Arthur growled with a warning tone.

"Prat," Merlin muttered, turning away to begin cleaning up the mess that had once again taken over the young King's chambers.

Arthur looked around and grabbed the closest thing, a goblet left on his bedside table, and prepared to chuck it at his cheeky manservant's head, when he was suddenly interrupted by a knock on his door. Dropping the goblet onto the bed and shooting one last glare at Merlin, he called out, "Enter!"

Leon opened the door just as Merlin stopped his work long enough to chuck a shirt at Arthur before continuing to move around the room, picking up the various items strewn across the floor. He had to stifle a chuckle when Arthur retaliated by throwing the previously forgotten goblet at Merlin's head. However, both knights were surprised when the usually clumsy servant caught the cup with a deft hand and merely added it to the basket he had been using to collect assorted items of clothing and cutlery. Shooting one more curious glance at the servant, Leon returned his attention to his King.

"Sire, I apologize for disturbing you this early. However, there is an urgent matter for you to attend to. A group of men has arrived, seeking an audience with you. I think you may want to hear what they have to say; they seem quite urgent."

After a moment of consideration, Arthur answered, "Very well. I shall meet them in the throne room in half an hour. You had better call for the others; if their matter is as urgent as you say, whatever it is cannot bode well for us." Arthur got up from the bed and began to put the shirt on, motioning for Merlin to stop his ministrations and come help him.

"Yes, sire." Leon gave a respectful nod and turned to leave. As he walked through the halls, he sent a servant ahead of him to go wake Elyan, Percival, and Gwen while he debated the whereabouts of Gwaine, who, no doubt, had made a spectacle of himself at the tavern again last night. Shaking his head and smiling to himself at the drunkard's antics, the knight turned in the direction of the kitchens, already beginning to hear the faint sounds of Cook's screeching at a certain someone for trying to sneak some food.

As Merlin helped him get ready, Arthur couldn't help but notice his friend's silence. As much as he teased him and told him to shut up, he didn't really mean it. Besides, Merlin was never quiet. There was always some kind of banter to fill the silence and Arthur found that he quite missed it now that it was gone. Upon further inspection, he noticed that Merlin's usual grin was missing as well. Oh, he had a smile plastered on his face, but it wasn't right. It wasn't real. Furrowing his brow, Arthur opened his mouth to ask-

"Be careful, _sire_. Wouldn't want to hurt yourself by thinking too hard."

Arthur scowled before retorting, "Shut up, Merlin." He paused for a moment, allowing his concern to soften his features. "I was just going to ask... are you feeling alright?"

Merlin froze from his ministrations to glance at his friend. Was that..._concern_ in Arthur's eyes?

"I'm fine."

Arthur didn't miss the slight darkening of Merlin's eyes when he answered, but he decided to let it go. He knew how stubborn the man could be, especially when it came to talking about anything personal. Letting his skepticism bleed into his tone, he relented, "Alright. Come on then, I don't want to be late."

Merlin could tell that Arthur didn't really believe him, but since he wasn't pressing the issue, he couldn't really be bothered to care. As he followed his King through the halls, down to the throne room, he let his mind wander back to that night 7 years ago. He always wondered what had happened to the rest of his friends. He knew they were most likely dead as he hadn't ever heard from them again, but he liked to think that they had somehow escaped. He really hoped that was the case for his older brother, Brenin.

It had certainly come as a shock to find his father still alive, living alone in a cave, but alas, he was killed just after Merlin had finally found him again. Before he died, he revealed the details of his escape, but he knew nothing of Brenin. _At least I got to see him one last time_, Merlin reasoned with himself. _I can't exactly say the same for Brenin or the others_.

Before he could become too immersed in his thoughts, they arrived at the throne room. With one last glance at Merlin, Arthur motioned for the guards to open the doors. When Merlin followed his King inside, he could not quite stifle the sharp intake of air when he realized who the group of men waiting to see Arthur were.

_It couldn't be. After all these years?_


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: ****I'm back! Sort of. And oh my god the response to this story has been amazing. I never expected to get any reviews or this many kudos, so thank you so much to everyone who's responded to this story! I'm so sorry it took me that long to get another chapter out. I've been super busy with school, but thankfully I'm done! Unfortunately, my computer crapped out on me in the middle of finals week, so I don't really have a way to update regularly without borrowing someone else's. I'm hoping to get a new computer soon, but I can't guarantee anything. So, for now, here's chapter 2! Not quite where I imagined it going, but hey, I'll roll with it.**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I have updated this chapter as I was unhappy with how I originally wrote it. Please reread so that it will make sense later on since I changed the majority of it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, only the plot and OCs of this story.**

**If you can't say something nice, keep it to yourself, but otherwise, I love reviews!**

At the King's entrance, the group of visitors looked up and then bowed their heads out of respect. Merlin ducked his head and scurried to the side of Arthur's seat, hoping to remain as invisible as possible. After an incredulous glare at his manservant's unusual behavior, Arthur returned his attention to the visiting knights.

"Welcome to Camelot. I am King Arthur and," he gestured to Gwen, who was seated next to him, "this is my queen, Guinevere. May I ask why you have come here?"

A man who appeared to be the leader of the group stepped forward. He was dressed in a white tunic, brown pants, and worn boots, with only light chainmail, a sword at his hip, and a deep blue cloak with a dragon embroidered in silver near its clasp. He had unruly sandy brown hair and wise hazel eyes that almost glowed with a hidden determination. His companions were dressed similarly, though the resemblance ended there. The first man was older, with short black hair that was starting to go gray. He had a beard to match and soft gray eyes that sparkled with mischief. The second man was a bit younger, with reddish-brown hair and green eyes. He carried himself with an air of cockiness that rivaled Arthur's. The last man was much younger than the other two. He had dark, curly hair and piercing blue eyes. The leader glanced back at the other three men before returning his gaze to that of the Camelotian King's.

"Your Majesties." He gave a small bow to Arthur and Gwen in turn, then straightened back up. "My name is Cai." He gestured to the knights behind him. "This is Dristan, Alain, and Dynadin. We come with an urgent matter. We seek aid in reinstating the rightful heir to the throne in our kingdom."

At the stranger's voice, Merlin jerked his head up with a strangled noise. The knights glanced over at him, as this was unusual behavior even for Merlin. Gwaine tried to catch his eye but he only shook his head, refusing to move his gaze from the group of strangers. Gwen looked concerned and Arthur merely shot him another glare before turning his attention back to the man.

"And what kingdom would that be?" Arthur looked skeptical. There hadn't been any recent uprisings in the neighboring kingdoms that he was aware of.

"I am sure you have heard of the kingdom of Dreócræft." At Arthur's nod, he continued, "Seven years ago on this very day, Dreócræft was taken over by a corrupt advisor and his followers. Many innocents were slain and the royal family was forced to flee. The King managed to escape the castle, but we know not where he fled nor if he even survived once he made it past the castle walls. The Queen and the younger Prince disappeared during the battle. No one knows for sure if they survived. And the elder Prince was able to escape with a small band of loyal knights and the hope to one day return to his home."

After a moment's pause, Arthur asked, "And how do you know for certain that the elder Prince has survived for this long? Did he send you here?"

The stranger chuckled and shared a look with the other men with him before turning back to Arthur, "I suppose you could say that, yes." His face suddenly became serious. "I am aware that we are asking much from you, but we are reaching desperate times and must do all that we can to help the people of Dreócræft. That means defeating the false ruler and restoring the prince to the throne."

Arthur paused in thought before answering, "I understand the need to restore the proper ruler to the throne far too well." The mutiny of Morgana is not something easily forgotten. "However, I cannot blindly send my men to help you without taking some time to think this through. I shall take a few hours to discuss this with my council and will give you my answer this evening. You are welcome to wait here in the castle. My manservant, Merlin, will show you to some rooms where you can rest from your journey."

"Thank you, my lord. Your kindness and hospitality is greatly appreciated. However, I cannot in good conscience allow you to make your decision without informing you of the nature of Dreócræft." Arthur merely arched his eyebrow and, after a moment of hesitation, the stranger continued, "Dreócræft is a kingdom that embraces magic. Many of our citizens practice it, and the King and both Princes were born with it. We do not condone the use of magic for evil and have laws in place to help prevent the use of dark magic. I am aware that Camelot condemns the use of magic, but you are our only hope."

As the stranger explained this, Arthur's face began to harden. When he finished speaking, Arthur continued to stare at the man for a moment before responding, "I see. I appreciate your honesty. But as I said before, I will need to discuss this with my council before I make any decisions. Merlin, show them to the guest chambers."

At the mention of his name, Merlin jerked his attention away from the visiting knights to stare at Arthur blankly before seeming to understand what was asked of him. He then scurried over to the strangers and said, "If you'll follow me," before leading them to the doors of the throne room.

After sharing another look of concern with his knights over Merlin's odd behavior, Arthur called Gwaine over. "Go with him and make sure he's okay. There's something off about him today."

"Sure thing, Princess." Gwaine winked as Arthur glared, then ran to catch up with the wayward servant and group of knights.

Arthur then turned his attention back to his remaining knights. "We will have a meeting of the Round Table in one hour. I expect to see everyone there, so someone will have to collect Gwaine and Merlin from wherever they end up. Most likely the tavern." He rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

_Couldn't they go one day without _something _happening? Despite what he claims, Merlin is _definitely _a trouble magnet._


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I'm back! Finally! Oh my god it has been forever and I am so sorry. I started writing this chapter way back in June, but I never quite had the chance to sit down and finish it until now. On the bright side, I got a new computer! So it will be a lot easier for me to write whenever I'd like. However, I just started my second year of classes, so updates will still be kind of sporadic based on my schedule.**

**A couple more things before we get to the chapter itself: 1. Your responses. Are. KILLING. Me. I love you all so much! When I first decided to post this story I would never have guessed that this many people would give a damn about my shitty writing. So thank you to every single person that left commented, favorited, or followed. Your support is what makes me stop being a lazy bum and at least try to write. 2. I am looking for a beta to help me with some of my writing. So if you are interested, please let me know! **

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I updated the previous chapter as I was unhappy with how I originally wrote it. Please reread so that it will make sense since I changed the majority of it. For those of you that already read the updated version, please note that I am a dumbass and forgot to give my OCs names, so there has been another update.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, only the plot and OCs of this story.**

**If you can't say something nice, keep it to yourself, but otherwise, I love reviews!**

As Gwaine caught up to Merlin and the foreign knights, he noticed how tense his friend seemed to be. Merlin had his shoulders hunched and his head down, seemingly playing the part of an obedient servant, however Gwaine knew better. Merlin was never one for formalities unless it was absolutely necessary. Something must be bothering him.

_Perhaps it's because Dreócræft is a kingdom of magic_, Gwaine thought. But that couldn't be it. Merlin had been on many patrols that had, inevitably, come across some sorcerer with the oh-so-original idea to "destroy Arthur and return magic to Camelot" and he hadn't even blinked, let alone cower like Arthur liked to claim. So it couldn't be the magic. Something else must be bothering his friend. He'd have to ask him later, when he could corner him alone, but for now, he'd have to try to get Merlin to relax, maybe even smile.

"Merlin, have I ever told you about the time I challenged Percy to a drinking contest?"

When Merlin's head raised ever so slightly in a show of curiosity, Gwaine took it as a sign to launch into his tale. By the time the group reached the guest chambers, the visiting knights were laughing along with Gwaine, and even Merlin managed a small smile. Seeing that his antics had seemed to slightly cheer his friend, Gwaine decided that his job was done, for now at least, and planned his getaway.

"Merlin, my friend, I do believe it is time for a drink. Come join me in the tavern when you finish up here." And with that he slapped Merlin on the shoulder and turned to make his way to the tavern.

Shaking his head at the drunkard's antics, Merlin turned back to the knights and led them through the doorway into the guest chambers. "Here we are. Is there anything I can get you sirs?"

"Merlin…" Cai tried to make eye contact with the younger man, but Merlin had his gaze set firmly on the floor. "Merlin, we know it's you."

When Merlin finally looked up, he found the group of knights staring at him. Despite their varying appearances, they all had one thing in common: a look of shock and of joy. He felt tears prick the corner of his eyes as he moved forward into the embrace of the sandy-haired knight.

"Cai." He stepped back to look at the older man, then shifted his gaze to the other three men. "I feared I would never see you all again. I thought for sure that you all had perished in the ambush. Mother and I barely made it out alive. If it weren't for Evrain…" Merlin trailed off.

"We know." Dynadin stepped forward to clasp arms with Merlin. "He died an honorable death protecting his Prince and Queen."

At this, Merlin shook his head. "I am no Prince, Sir Dynadin. At least not here I'm not. In Camelot I am just a servant."

"But sire, how can you bear to serve such a pompous King when you yourself are royalty?" Alain stepped forward for his turn to greet the lost Prince. "Surely this work is below you."

"Alain," Dristan scolded before Merlin could respond. "Do you really think this was a position of choice? Not only must he hide from his traitorous uncle, but also be careful lest he be murdered for something he was born with. Life in Camelot does not bode well for a Prince of Dreócræft."

At the mention of his uncle, a chill ran down Merlin's spine. "Tell me, what all has happened in the seven years that I have been gone. You told Arthur that Brenin is alive. Is that true?" Merlin felt the faintest trickle of hope.

Dristan smiled. "Yes, sire. It is true. Your brother is alive and well, and he sent us to find you."

Merlin couldn't help the joyful laugh that bubbled from his throat. His brother was alive. After years of refusing to get his hopes up. _His brother was alive_.

"I can't believe it. It's more than I could have hoped for. All these years, believing everyone I ever cared for to have died…It's almost like a dream."

Cai stepped forward. "Sire, as joyous are we are to have found you, we must inquire as to what has happened since you escaped. There has been no sign of you or the Queen for 7 years and we merely happened across you by chance here."

"Of course. There is much to tell you." Merlin sighed before continuing. "But please refrain from the formalities. I never cared much for it 7 years ago and I still do not. And not to mention that it would sound suspicious to anyone that may pass by and hear."

The knights smiled at their Prince's continued disdain for propriety.

"Now, I am afraid that, as much as I want to stay and tell you everything, I really must go. Arthur will be calling for me any moment now for some ridiculous task. So for now, just stay here and rest. Another servant will be up soon with some food and drink. I'll come back as soon as I am able."

Dynadin nodded at his Prince's request, for despite the fact that Merlin was their Prince, nothing he asked of them was ever really an order or command. "Of course, si-I mean, Merlin. We will await your return here."

Merlin smiled at the younger knight's near-mistake, then turned to go and find his prat-of-a-King.

As the Prince-turned-servant disappeared through the guest chamber doors, the group of knights could hear the faint bellow of "_Merlin!_" echo throughout the corridor.


	5. Chapter 5

**Yikes.**

**I am so sorry. I really did not mean for it to take this long. I sat down to try and write a few different times, and each time resulted in me deleting what I had written the last time, but not really coming up with anything good to replace it. This time, though, I think I got it. I have a pretty good idea of where I'm going, and hopefully this self-isolation thing will give me some more free time to work on it. I'm not going to give any specific deadline because they don't seem to work (plus now all of my classes are online), but I'm going to do my best to do better. I don't intend to ever abandon the story, even if it takes a long time between updates.**

**Thank you to everyone who has given me kudos and/or left me a comment, but most importantly, taken the time to read my story. It means a lot to know that so many people appreciate my writing. So, without further ado, here you go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, only the plot and OCs of this story.**

After the rest of his knights had dispersed, Arthur turned to his queen with a grim look on his face. "Guinevere, there is something I must talk to you about."

"Is everything all right?" Her face pinched with worry. "Has something happened?"

"No. Well, yes, but not in the way you might think. Here, come with me." He glanced around, as if he expected someone to be watching him and dropped his voice. "We will discuss this matter in private. I don't want to chance upon any listening ears."

"Alright…" Gwen trailed off as she followed her husband out of the throne room, into the corridor, and down the hall to their shared chambers.

Once they arrived, Arthur ushered her quickly inside and shut the doors, glancing around once more in search of eavesdroppers. Gwen moved to the middle of the room, where she watched her husband anxiously.

"Arthur?" she ventured. When he didn't immediately respond, she tried again. "Arthur? What is it? What's happened?"

After a moments' pause, Arthur moved to join his wife in the middle of the room. "Guinevere, what I have to tell you is of utmost secrecy. There are few others who know, and I need it to stay that way. At least for now, otherwise I fear for the future of Camelot. Can I trust you?"

"Of course. You know I would never do anything to put you or the kingdom at risk." Her face softened. "Please, tell me what is causing you this unease."

Arthur's face minutely relaxed from its sternness, and he breathed a small sigh of relief as he took his wife's hands in his. "I am sorry. Of course I can trust you. You've given me no reason not to." He turned away from her and moved towards the window overlooking the courtyard. "It's just that things have been changing so much lately, and I worry for our future. There are many difficult decisions ahead of us. Some of them much sooner than I had hoped."

He turned back towards Gwen and gestured for her to sit at the table. After helping her to sit down, he took his own seat across from her.

"Guinevere, what I must tell you will be difficult to hear. I have been debating whether or not to tell you, or anyone for that matter, for I, myself, found it extremely hard to believe, even when witnessing the reality firsthand."

The more he spoke, the more uneasy Gwen became, her face pinched with worry and her hands fiddling with the fabric of her skirt. She had no idea what he could possibly be talking about, though for him to be this upset it must be horrifying.

"Arthur, please just tell me. I can't take much more of this!"

"Alright." He took a breath to steel himself, then ventured, "Merlin…" He stopped to clear his throat. "Merlin has… magic."

He looked up at Gwen, expecting her to be surprised, maybe even sad or angry. However, he did not expect to look up to find her staring at him intently with… a slight smile?

"Guinevere, what…?" Arthur began.

"Oh, you really are a clotpole, aren't you?"

Arthur was taken aback by her use of Merlin's word. He started to protest, but was cut off by his wife's laugh.

"Arthur, really. You think I didn't know?"

"He told you?!" he asked incredulously.

"Well, no, but he isn't exactly subtle about it, now is he?"

"No," he sighed, "I suppose he isn't."

"So how long have you known, then?"

"A few months."

"Why have you said nothing until now? Does it have something to do with those knights from this morning?"

"Not exactly. This is something I've been thinking over for a while, but with those knights asking for our help, I think some changes need to happen much sooner than I had planned."

Gwen became concerned once more. "What kind of changes?"

"I think it'd be best to wait until the Round Table meets. I would like to discuss them with everyone and I'd rather not repeat myself. It would also be a good idea if Merlin were here to explain some things. It gets a bit more complicated than just 'Merlin has magic', but I'll leave that part to him."

"Alright," Gwen conceded, though there was a hint of concern left in her voice. "Where is Merlin, anyway? Shouldn't he be finished with the knights by now?"

"He should be, yes. That doesn't mean he isn't shirking his duties, though," Arthur grumbled. "He's probably in the tavern with Gwaine or off doing something else he shouldn't be. You go find Leon and have him roundup the knights. I'll go find Merlin and try to prepare him for what's to come."

~~~Break~~~Break~~~Break~~~

"Merlin!" Arthur bellowed as he moved through the castle corridors. Where is that useless manservant?

Just as he prepared to turn the corner, Merlin came barreling out of nowhere and bowled right into his king. While Arthur managed to catch himself, Merlin was not so lucky and fell backwards onto the floor.

"Sorry, Arthur," Merlin grinned sheepishly from the cobblestone of the corridor.

"Merlin," Arthur scolded, "we've talked about this. You cannot address me like that. At least not where just anyone can hear. It is unfitting of a King and his servant."

"Sorry, sire," Merlin's grin faded.

Arthur sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "No, it is I who should be sorry. It's been months now and I've yet to change anything."

"Arthur? What are you saying?" Merlin's face showed a mix of hope and fear.

"Come. We have much to discuss," Arthur said as he turned back to return to his chambers.

Merlin scrambled to his feet, nearly falling back down in his haste to catch up with Arthur, who was already halfway down the corridor.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long for another chapter. Unfortunately, this pandemic is quite the writer's block. On the bright side, I found a new beta reader, so I should be updating a little more frequently!**

**Thank you to everyone who leaves a review or follows! You guys always make my day!**

As he caught up with Arthur, Merlin's mind began to churn with questions. _What's going to happen? Is Arthur going to help my knights? What if he finds out who I really am?_ He stopped just short of the door to Arthur's chambers, his eyes growing wide at the sight of the Camelot knights gathered there along with Gwen. _Is Arthur going to reveal my magic?_ His heart began to pound at the thought of his deepest secret finally being revealed to all. It was bad enough when Arthur had finally found out.

Three months ago, Merlin had accompanied Arthur on a hunting trip to search out some mythical beast that a distant villager had brought word of. His first clue that something was wrong should have been that Gaius had never heard of such a creature and that there was no mention of it to be found in any of the multitudinous books that Gaius possessed on such things. However, they set out anyway, determined to prevent any harm to Camelot and her people.

After spending about three days trying to find any kind of the sign of the creature and coming up continuously empty-handed, they ran into a patrol of Saxons. It suddenly became obvious that the story of the beast was a ruse to lure Arthur to the waiting assassins, and they were quickly overpowered by the large band of men. However, these brutes were different from the usual attackers, perhaps smarter, as they attempted to immediately execute the king, rather than allowing him time to plot an escape. Seeing that there was no other way out, Merlin had used his magic to free Arthur and kill the remaining Saxons. In the aftermath, Arthur was initially relieved, but quickly became angry and hurt at Merlin's betrayal.

It had taken almost a month after they returned to Camelot, but Arthur gradually learned of everything Merlin had done for him. With that knowledge, and the help of Gaius' eyebrow, Arthur came to forgive him and began to learn all he could about magic and how it could be used. But he had made Merlin promise to keep his secret a little while longer while he figured out how to break the news to his councillors that he had changed his mind about magic without them thinking he had been bewitched.

And now, here he was, about to unravel all the lies Merlin had ever told to almost everyone he cared about. Merlin felt as if the floor had dropped out from underneath his feet, and the only thing that stopped him from sinking to his knees was the appearance of the king's hand on his shoulder. His eyes snapped to Arthur's, and he suddenly felt reassured by the trust and determination he saw there.

~break~

"Merlin?" Arthur was concerned by the sudden lack of Merlin's presence at his shoulder. He turned around to find his manservant staring at the group of knights with a look of terror in his eyes. As he began to sway, Arthur reached out a hand to steady him. Their eyes locked, and the king was relieved to see the look of terror replaced with one of conviction. Then Merlin nodded once, squared his shoulders and continued into the room. At their appearance, the knights' chatter petered out and their attention shifted to their king.

"Sire," Leon began, "have you made a decision regarding the visiting knights?"

"Yes, I have, but there is something else we must first discuss." At the knights' questioning glances, he looked to Merlin for reassurance that he was okay with what Arthur was about to reveal. When he nodded ever so slightly, Arthur took a breath and turned back to his most trusted friends. "Whatever I am about to say, I want you all to know I have thought long and hard about this decision, and it is not one I make lightly. I am going to lift the ban on magic and end the persecution of those who practice it."

At his words, Leon and Elyan looked horrified, while Gwaine and Percival merely looked curious.

"But sire! How can you allow magic to be legal when we have seen all that it can do to us?" Leon was shocked that the man who so hated magic from the beginning of his upbringing could so suddenly change his mind.

Arthur understood the look of betrayal in Leon and Elyan's eyes; they had all been raised to hate magic and distrust those that had fallen prey to its evil ways. But he now knew that his father had been wrong. Magic was neither good nor evil, it was merely manipulated to act as such by its wielder. And he knew that there must be good in it if a man as kind as Merlin held so much of its power.

"I know that we have all been wronged by magic in some way, but that does not mean that magic itself is evil. It is like a sword. It is neither good nor evil until it is given a purpose by the one that wields it. I believe that there are enough good people out there that the majority of magic that would be practiced would be used for good. To tend to crops, to entertain, to heal. None of these uses would bring about harm. And perhaps, without the fear of persecution, those that would seek to harm Camelot may abandon their hatred." Arthur paused to let his knights absorb what he had just told them.

After a moment, Percival looked up to address the group. "When I was younger, I met many druids and others that practiced magic as I travelled. Many of them seemed to use it for practical purposes and I never felt threatened by them. In fact, most times they offered to help me in one way or another."

Gwaine nodded in agreement. "Aye. In all my travels, I met few who used their magic with dark intention." Smiling wryly, he added, "And they could be right fun to have a drink with."

"But how do we know that those who use their magic for evil won't use this as a chance to grow stronger and attack? With more people practicing magic, Morgana could use this opportunity to grow her ranks and attack Camelot!" Elyan glanced around, his eyes flickering about as if he were watching Morgana's supposed plan already falling into place.

"These are valid points, yet my decision still stands. With the legalization of magic, Camelot will become stronger. We could even incorporate magic users into our army to defeat Morgana if that were to become her plan." Arthur paused in thought. "However, there still stands the matter of how to implement the new law. In order to execute this new order, we will need someone who is well versed in the ways of magic to help guide regulations and help to spread the news without causing the people to think it is a trap."

Leon still looked uneasy as he addressed the king. "Perhaps Gaius? He used to practice magic before the Great Purge." The other knights nodded in agreement.

After sharing a look with his wife and Merlin, Arthur turned back to the knights. "I agree that Gaius is knowledgeable and would be a good choice, but I have someone else in mind." He gestured to Merlin, who stood up, while the knights shared curious glances. "Merlin will be the one to advise on the regulations of the new law."

"But sire, did you not say that the position should be filled by someone well versed in magic? Should that not be someone who has used magic in the past?" Leon looked confused as the other knights nodded their agreement.

After one last look at Arthur, Merlin took a deep breath and stepped forward. Avoiding the gazes of his friends out of fear of their judgement, his voice trembling, he told them, "Arthur chose me because...because I have magic."


End file.
